I Had No Idea I’ve been Buying Fake Honey All This Time

Honey is one of my pantry staples. I drizzle it on my son’s french toast and pancakes; I mix it with my warm lemon water on mornings; I pour it on my husband’s milk kefir to make sweet lassi. I even use it as a replacement for sugar in most of my recipes. And since cough medicines are not my option, this is the only thing I give my toddler whenever he’s down to colds and coughing– a teaspoon before bedtime and he sleeps peacefully.

Honey is certainly an old product that has won over my heart since time immemorial.

Now, I don’t know about you but I’m aware that most store honey isn’t really honey. I first learned this from my dad-in-law. He’s done bee farming and as a result, he’s able to check the purity of our honey at his own “home laboratory”. But Dad can’t be around every time. So I rely on my own gut when I choose a bottle from array of luring choices in the supermarket.

Unfortunately, I can’t look at a jar of honey and know that it is good or fake. Nor can I fully trust a label that says “pure honey”.

So what I used to do is head to Healthy Options or choose an expensive bottle from Rustan’s Supermarket to get a bigger chance of getting an authentic, good quality honey to feed my family. But don’t trust me here. The pricey, premium, artisanal honey contained in those opulent and even bear bottles? You might want to think twice before choosing based on price.

One investigation of our honey market discovered that around 75% of all our grocery-store honey was adulterated. And that there’s only two, let me repeat that in numerals, only 2 in our supermarket shelves pass the European honey directive (the holy grail of honey standards and certification and an important way for us consumers to know what we are getting). Basically, what the report is saying is that honey laundering is rampant in mommy wonderland.

All of this honey-monkey-business is no laughing matter. It’s putting our families, either as a health benefit or simply as an alternative sweetener, at risk. So, how do we protect ourselves?

From a mom to mom, here’s my honest recommendation:

Ever heard of Langnese brand?

If you haven’t heard or seen it on the shelves yet, it’s because it’s just been launched last week in the Philippine market. Caveat, I was invited to their launch but let me tell you something: I don’t just recommend this brand for their lemonades and invitation.

My first encounter of this honey was in 2006, in Munich. I can still remember spreading it on a warm bagel that blessed morning. It was love at first taste. It stuck in my memory clearly because it was so different from the taste of our local honey, superior to any honey I’ve tasted in my life.

Words aren’t enough to tell you my taste bud’s experience but you just gotta try it. You’ll know why I’ve been hooked ever since that I used to stock bottles and bottles in my pantry when I was living in Dubai.

But since moving back to Philippines, I can no longer find this brand after checking dozens of Manila supermarkets. It was sad because Langnese is the best-known and most-loved natural honey in Germany. And Germany is one of the toughest countries to attempt importing honey. They have very high standards and testing protocols. With this honey, I know it doesn’t only surpass strict requirements, it’s name is a seal of guarantee that nothing is added nor removed from it.

But there’s no more guessing for me starting this week. I urge you to do the same. Don’t feed yourself or your loved ones the pre-packaged honey from McDonald’s or coffee shops, nor buy the “Winnie the Pooh” kind as 100% of these samples had no traces of pollen. Another fake brand to avoid is CEM’s Honey, which is widely available in our supermarkets and grocery stores, and they come in different brand names and labels such as Superior Honey, Prime Brand Finest Honey, Dark Amber Tropical and many more. Be really really careful.

If you can afford it, look for Langnese. You wont miss it from the shelves with its patented signature bottles. I would risk to assure you that they are leaders in their field and that for the most part, their intention is to provide a consistent, high quality honey product.

I hope I helped you in your honey purchasing decision with my own preference and recommendation. Langnese is 100% guaranteed legit and good for you on several levels. Trust me.

39 thoughts on “I Had No Idea I’ve been Buying Fake Honey All This Time”

The primary reason I use honey is to prepare my family’s immune system for allergy season. But in order for it to work, we need LOCAL honey–honey gathered by bees less than 50 miles from my home. That means I have to go directly to local beekeepers. You can usually find them online in your area.

After our bear-shaped bottle of honey runs out, I don’t think i will buy honey anymore because I saw a video that there’s fake honey from China. The stores here are overrun with China products. I hope to find this brand you recommend.

Oh this is very informative. I don’t use honey as much as you do but when we needed one we get one from the farm. My in laws had this farm and he has relatives who get it fresh from the bees. That way im sure its pure and organic.

Honey is also a staple in my kitchen pantry. I usually buy CEMS. I have been using it for quite a while. It is cheaper than the imported brands and seems real. It doesn’t attract ants, doesn’t spoil and texture is consistent (doesn’t solidify).

Oh no, mommy! Did you read the portion here about CEMS? If you missed it, please read my warning in the article. According to reports, apiaries from all over the country have recently filed complaints against this brand because of alleged misrepresentation and fraud. CEM is also not registered with our FDA, and therefore, all of its products have not been verified as safe and fit for human consumption.

We have CEM honey on our pantry at ayun tinapon ko na nung nabasa ko yung news. Nakakainis! I’ll visit Ilog ni Maria here in Cavite soon to get authentic honey. This brand you have mentioned is also interesting, will check them out at Rustan’s Supermarket

The only honey I trusted are those that I saw coming directly from the hive. That was how we obtain our honey when I was young and we are 500% sure it’s real and pure. Good thing we now have ideas on how to spot fake and real honey. I will try this brand one day. I actually stopped buying honey from the market because I don’t feel they are pure and that I don’t get what I am paying for…

This is pretty neat! First time I read about fake honey and how they try to do that, I remember telling myself how bad I feel about this generation because we focus on producing more than producing what’s best and natural for homes. Here’s to Langnese and what it brings to homes!

Waah, I did not know there are many fake honey brands in the market! I might just be getting a fake since I cannot tell the authentic ones from them. I will try to look for this brand the next time I go to the grocers. Thanks for sharing.

It is so brave and generous of you to name those we need to avoid. Thanks. I remember I used honey in our fruit shake and it was only put to trash as the taste wasnt that delicious. I will make it a point then to look for this brand. Thanks again.

jame bond

Thanks so much I’m standing now front of the shelf it holds langnese honey like you said it’s there are many frauds in the honey market,but the Germans are the best in the world when it comes to Quality .
I would like to thank you for helping me to make the right choice.

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